Related

Article

Fernandes wants Samba to star for QPR

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes wants to build his Championship team around Christopher Samba next season.

The Loftus Road side were relegated alongside Reading last weekend, thanks to the 0-0 Premier League draw between the two sides.

Samba, who moved to London in a big-money January move, has not hit the heights he once enjoyed at Blackburn Rovers but Fernandes still sees him as a key player.

His mammoth wages were thought to be a problem in terms of keeping him on in the second tier of English football, however it now appears he will be staying.

Fernandes said: "We're under no pressure now to just keep players so if Chris wants to stay with us, if he believes in what the club can do, then I'd love him to be one of the pivotal points of the Championship side.

"But if he doesn't feel that this is right for him then I don't want to force him to stay and I'd rather get someone who gets excited going out there.

"But Chris would be a tower in the Championship and it would be fantastic to build a team around him."

Fernandes has already stated that boss Harry Redknapp will be staying too, despite widespread speculation that he would leave in the summer.

He added: "I haven't had a chance to speak to Chris and I think Harry is sitting down with him tomorrow (Saturday). We want players who want to play for us.

"I think the days of bringing in players because of their reputation, their name and they're just coming to QPR for the salary are gone.

"We want to have players who want to play for us, who are excited by walking down that tunnel and going to play for us."